December & Yearly 2001
Graphs follow the table summary!
Portsmouth Weather Records Service
 

Local Climatological Data
*Data Are Subject to Correction by PWRS

 Station:  PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA
Month:   DECEMBER Year: 2001
Latitude: 36° 81' N    Longitude: 76° 33' W
Station Elevation: 20 FT 
Standard Time: EASTERN STANDARD TIME

 
  Temperature Degree Days Precipitation  Wind       Sky Weather Peak Wind 
Date Max Min Mn Dep HDD CDD Total Snow Depth Avg Dir Type Types Speed Dir
1
75
55
65.0
+16
 
 
 
0.0
0
2.8
S
SU
BR
17
WSW
2
58
51
54.5
+6
10.5
 
 
0.0
0
5.7
N
PC
FROPA COLDER
21
N
3
60
44
52.0
+4
13.0
 
 
0.0
0
2.3
NNE
PC
BR FU
13
NNE
4
61
41
51.0
+2
14.0
 
 
0.0
0
0.0
ESE
PC
+FG -FU
6
N
5
70
44
57.0
+10
8.0
 
 
0.0
0
1.6
S
SU
-BR
13
S
6
74
51
62.5
+14
2.5
 
 
0.0
0
3.4
SSW
SU
BREEZY MILD
23
WSW
7
71
53
62.0
+15
3.0
 
 
0.0
0
3.8
SSW
PC
FROPA
21
W
8
70
58
64.0
+17
1.0
 
 
0.0
0
2.7
NE
C
 
14
NE
9
62
47
54.5
+9
10.5
 
 
0.0
0
7.0
N
PC
FROPA
29
N
10
55
47
51.0
+5
14.0
 
0.11
0.0
0
4.4
NNE
C
-RA BR
16
NNE
11
57
53
55.0
+11
10.0
 
1.36
0.0
0
5.6
NNE
C
RA BR DZ
19
NNE
12
57
52
54.5
+10
10.5
 
0.02
0.0
0
1.9
NNE
C
-RA DZ BR
14
NNE
13
66
54
60.0
+14
5.0
 
 
0.0
0
3.4
SSW
C
BR
17
SSW
14
72
63
67.5
+22
 
2.5
 
0.0
0
5.3
SSW
PC
BR BREEZY
24
S
15
68
49
58.5
+12
6.5
 
 
0.0
0
6.6
N
SU
FROPA BREEZY COLD
29
N
16
49
40
44.5
0
20.5
 
 
0.0
0
2.7
N
PC
COOL
16
N
17
68
38
53.0
+9
12.0
 
 
0.0
0
4.7
S
PC
 
22
SSW
18
66
41
53.5
+11
11.5
 
0.20
0.0
0
6.9
SSW
PC
SHRA FROPA WINDY
33
WSW
19
59
34
46.5
+4
18.5
 
 
0.0
0
1.6
SSE
-PC
 
18
S
20
53
34
43.5
+1
21.5
 
 
0.0
0
6.4
W
SU
FROPA COOL
28
W
21
49
30
39.5
-5
25.5
 
 
0.0
0
4.2
N
SU
CHILLY
23
N
22
47
30
38.5
-2
26.5
 
 
0.0
0
3.1
N
SU
 
23
N
23
61
29
45.0
+1
20.0
 
 
0.0
0
4.1
S
PC
FROST
18
S
24
63
34
48.5
+4
16.5
 
0.19
0.0
0
4.2
N
PC
SHRA FROPA
29
NNW
25
49
28
38.5
-2
26.5
 
 
0.0
0 
1.2
W
PC
-FROST
16
N
26
44
28
36.0
-2
29.0
 
0.01
0.0
0
3.0
N
PC
SHRA
22
N
27
43
24
33.5
-5
31.5
 
 
0.0
0
5.0
WSW
SU
-FROST COLD
27
WSW
28
51
29
40.0
-3
25.0
 
 
0.0
0
3.3
SSW
-PC
CHILLY
21
SSW
29
57
36
46.5
+4
18.5
 
 
0.0
0
3.7
N
PC
FROPA
24
N
30
39
26
32.5
-8
32.5
 
 
0.0
0
3.9
N
-PC
COLD
19
N
31
41
26
33.5
-8
31.5
 
 
0.0
0
1.8
W
PC
 
14
WSW

 
Temperature Data
AVERAGE HIGH :  58.5º     DEPARTURE:       + 5.6º
AVERAGE LOW :  40.9º     DEPARTURE:       + 5.2º
MEAN:                49.7º     DEPARTURE:       + 5.4º

HIGHEST: 75° on the 1st
LOWEST: 24º on the 27th

Number of Days:
00 - MAX 100º OR ABOVE
00 - MAX 32º OR BELOW
00 - MAX 90º OR ABOVE
09 - MIN 32º OR BELOW
00 - MIN 0º OR BELOW

Heating Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH:  475.5 from 30 days
SEASONAL TOTAL:   956.5

Cooling Degree Days
TOTAL THIS MONTH:  2.5 from 1 day
SEASONAL TOTAL:   1557.0 [END OF SEASON]

NUMBER OF:

05 - Days Cloudy
18 - Days Partly Cloudy
08 - Days Clear or Sunny

09 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
01 - Days with Dense Fog

03 - Days with Frost

00 - Days with Thunderstorms
00 - Thunderstorms

00 - Days with some type of Snowfall

 Precipitation Data
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH:   1.89"
DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL: -0.98" or 66%
GREATEST DAILY: 1.36" on the 11th
GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 1.48" on the 11th-12th
AVERAGE DAILY: 0.06"
NORMAL DAILY:   0.09"
# DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  6
YEAR-TO-DATE: 31.92"  DEPARTURE: -15.42" or 67% of the norm

MAXIMUM FOR DECEMBER:  5.73" in 1983 -->  (since
MINIMUM FOR  DECEMBER:  0.76" in 1988 -->  1976)
NORMAL FOR   DECEMBER: 2.91" 

Snowfall, Ice Pellets
TOTAL FOR THE MONTH: 0.0"
GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 0.0" on the ---
GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 0.0" on the ---
DECEMBER MAX = 1.7" in 1993

Number of Days:
WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 6
WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 4
WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 1
WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 1

Pressure Data
HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL:  30.483" on the 16th
LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.337" on the 18th

Wind
PEAK WIND GUST: 33 mph from the WSW on the 18th
AVERAGE SPEED: 3.70 mph from a dominant N direction

 
  • DECEMBER STATION RECORDS:
  • FOURTH WARMEST DECEMBER IN DATABASE SINCE 1976 behind 52.0° in 1984, 50.7° in 1990, and 50.0° in 1998
  • 11th - Daily rainfall - 1.36" (previous 0.94" 1982)
  • 11th - Maximum minimum temperature - 53° (previously 45° in 1985)
  • 13th - Maximum minimum temperature - 54° (previously 53° in 1991)
  • 14th - Maximum temperature - 72° (previously 71° in 1991)
  • 14th - Maximum minimum temperature - 63° (previously 50° in 1991)
    		•

    YEAR-TO-DATE 2001 through 12/31


    Temperature Data
    AVERAGE HIGH :  69.5º   DEPARTURE:   0.0º
    AVERAGE LOW :  52.2º   DEPARTURE: +1.0º
    MEAN:                60.9º  DEPARTURE:  +0.6º

    HIGHEST: 96°on the 9th and 10th of August
    LOWEST:  22º on 4th of January

    Number of Days:
    00 - MAX 100º OR ABOVE
    00 - MAX 32º OR BELOW
    18 - MAX 90º OR ABOVE
    39 - MIN 32º OR BELOW
    00 - MIN 0º OR BELOW

    Heating Degree Days
    TOTAL:  3063.5

    Cooling Degree Days
    TOTAL:   1557.0

    NUMBER OF:

    038 - Days Cloudy
    237-  Days Partly Cloudy
    090 - Days Clear or Sunny

    145 - Days with Fog/Ground Fog
    012 - Days with Dense Fog

    17 - Days with Frost

    24 - Days with Thunderstorms
    28 - Thunderstorms

    05 - Days with some type of Snowfall

    		 Precipitation Data
    TOTAL:  31.92"
    DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL:   -15.42" or 67%
    GREATEST DAILY: 2.18" on the 16th of June
    GREATEST IN 24-HR PERIOD: 2.18" on the 16th of June
    AVERAGE DAILY: 0.09"
    NORMAL DAILY: 0.13"
    # DAYS WITH MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION:  98 or 26.30%

    MAXIMUM:  5.26" in June
    MINIMUM:   0.30" in November

    Snowfall, Ice Pellets
    TOTAL: 0.6"
    GREATEST IN 24 HOURS: 0.3" on February 22nd & March 6th
    GREATEST DEPTH ON GROUND: 0.3" on February 22nd & March 6th

    Number of Days:

    WITH 0.01" OR MORE PRECIP: 98
    WITH 0.10" OR MORE PRECIP: 64
    WITH 0.50" OR MORE PRECIP: 21
    WITH 1.00" OR MORE PRECIP: 9

    Pressure Data
    HIGHEST SEA-LEVEL: 30.660" on February 11th
    LOWEST SEA-LEVEL:  29.474" on March 6th

     
    PWRS DENOTATIONS: SU/CL = Clear sky; PC = Partly cloudy sky; C = cloudy sky; NA, not available; NR, not recorded; TEMP, temperature; MAX, maximum; MIN, minimum; T, trace of precipitation; INOP, inoper- ative equipment; MPH, miles per hour; DN, departure from normal; DEP, departure; YR, year; NORM, normal; DST LTG, distant lightning; FROP or FROPA, frontal passage; AM morning; AFT afternoon hours; EVE evening hours; PM evening hours; E estimated; VBL, variable wind directions; TS, tropical storm;

    METAR DENOTATIONS


    BC   Patches
    BL   Blowing 
    BR   Fog with visibilites > 5/8 but <=6 statute miles and
    below to 5/8 mile
    DU   Dust (widespread)
    DS   Duststorm
    DZ   Drizzle
    FC   Funnel Cloud
    FC+  Tornado/waterspout
    FG   Fog with visibility <= 5/8 statute miles
    FU   Smoke 
    FZDZ Freezing drizzle
    FZRA Freezing rain
    FZFG Freezing fog
    GR   Hail
    GS   Small hail 
    HZ   Haze
    IC   Ice crystals 
    PL   Ice pellets 
    PY   Spray
    RA   Rain
    SA   Sand 
    SS   Sandstorm
    PO   Sand or dust whirls
    SG   Snow granules    		 SH   Shower 
    SHRA Shower of rain
    SHSN Shower of snow
    SHPE Shower of ice pellets
    SHGR Shower with hail
    SHGS Shower with small hail
    SM   Statute miles 
    SN   Snow
    SQ   Squalls
    TS   Thunderstorm 
    TSGR Thunderstorm with hail
    TSGS Thunderstorm with small hail
    TSPE Thunderstorm with ice pellets
    TSRA Thunderstorm with rain
    TSSN Thunderstorm with snow
    UP   Unknown precipitation
    VA   Volcanic ash
    VC   Vicinity
    V V   Used for obscurred sky

    METAR Qualifiers: (now placed in FRONT of code)

    -  Light      + Heavy      DR Low drifting     M  Below ( -x.x degrees)
                                           MI Shallow     PR Partial


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